


Innocence (and Guilt)

by InsominiacArrest



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Femslash February, Murder Trial, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 21:07:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6094048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsominiacArrest/pseuds/InsominiacArrest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey is an eager young lawyer ready to begin her career, too be bad it starts out defending Phasma Banite the glamorous aristocrat who definitely Did-Not-Kill-Her-Husband.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Innocence (and Guilt)

**Author's Note:**

> All jedi work for The Force Defense Firm, and all Rebellion members work for the prosecution firm Reb. L Firm, all Empire soldiers are just part of the military.

Rey didn’t mean to become a defense attorney, honestly, she was going to become a prosecutor, but she graduated and one thing led to another.

Her advisor called it a calling, she called it a paycheck, and, in her heart of hearts, a way to actually help people.  Or, at least, that was the plan until she got  _ her _ case. 

 

She had been in the office March 11th with piles of paperwork stacking up and coworkers glancing at her as rumors spread like a trickle of oil into the nooks and crannies of a car engine.

Someone was coming in, and they looking to hand it off to someone, namely the new girl, talented, young, and Rey.

“Hey rookie,” an older attorney had called to her, “your first case is going to be sent your way.”

She stared empty-eyed at them, “okay."

They give her a smirk, she didn’t know what she was in for. 

 

She goes back to typing away thoughtfully, images flash before her eyes, a real case with a real client, she smiles a private smile.

Maybe she would even meet the famed Luke Skywalker, he owned the firm afterall, he would have to talk to her then.

 

That was the rumor, and that was Rey’s first hints of something changing in the air.

She had walked in with a metalic stride, hips forward, legs stiff and in line, she was blue eyes like the sky after a thunderstorm and pale skin that glowed under the fluorescent.

Her hair was cropped short to her head, a pixie cut of yellow-straw that framed her face and highlighted cheekbones that sloped like dipping hills. Her heels were red, her lipstick was red, her nails were grey and silver as a new car bumpers.

 

Rey was intrigued, she was tall, statuesque, and in all of the Newspapers. Phasma Banite. The women who shot her husband.

 

Her hooded eyes and mouth that moved like it knew something made Rey have no doubt in her mind that this women could murder.

 

Rey doesn’t make eye contact and lets the women stride confidently to the back of the room to the main office, that was Snokes, another Force Firm attorney.

 

Rey files yet another report and reads up rules of evidence, she just finished a case but she had lost some objections and wanted to avoid that for her next trial. 

 

An hour and a half passes, the clock ticking to 2:30 when a stack of case material arrives on her desk.

 

“What’s this?” She asks on the brink of indignantly.

A grin like eels in a bottle flashes at her, loose hair and eyes too dark and trailing over her hands longer than she would like.

“You’re new case. Boss says it’s time you got something challenging.”

 

Rey perked up at such a mission.

 

“And what’s that?” She continues evenly.

"I think you know." He leans in a little closer, “call me when you need more hands to help on the trial.” He waves at her and she promises she will at least never reach out to that man during this.

 

Rey blinks around, searching, a blue gaze locks onto hers. Phasma Banite. Of course.

 

Rey gestures for her to come over but Phasma shakes her head and indicates she should come over there.

 

Rey frowns ever so slightly, only to herself, and then closes her documents and picks up her jacket, she had a feeling she might need it.

 

Phasma greets her at the door and promptly nods at her.

 

“We should talk.” Is the first thing Phasma says.

 

“Would you like to come to my desk?” Her pretty face remains impassive, but Rey imagines she’s wrinkling her nose. 

 

“I was thinking lunch.” Another pleasant smile that falls from her eyes and only dusts her cheeks. 

 

She nods, “I’m Rey.” She puts out her hand, Mrs-Ms. Banite takes it in a firm grip.

 

“Rey?”

 

“Just Rey.” She asserts routinely.

 

“That must be a bitch on legal documents to go through.”

 

“You have no idea.” Rey says thoughtfully. They let go of each other's hands and Phasma leads her out, Rey figures she liked leading.

 

They make it to the street and Ms. Banite barely slows down for Rey and they speed walk in a steady quiet. She leads them down the streets of Chicago to a bistro tucked into a wall. 

Rey blanches, an expensive bistro. She prays they don’t have seating. 

 

“Table for two.” Is all Ms. Banite has to say before they are taking her to a table in the back.

 

The whispering is immediate. Eyes flashing towards them like search lights and emergency signs, lips curving over the inevitable words:

“There she is…”

“I heard she used a two-millimeter…”

“....Her suits are all armani.”

“Who’s that girl?”

“Another doe-eyed doll she’s having a fling with….”

“Poor thing…”

Rey tunes them out after that and concentrates on the back of Ms. Banite’s shoulder blades, sharp and embedded in her back like wings.

 

Rey sits down and flattens out her suit jacket as she looks around.

“Should we get somewhere quieter?” The older women offers as they look around and room is abuzz.

Rey shakes her head, “we’ll go wherever you are comfortable Ms. Banite.” Rey says evenly, putting on her professional demeanor. 

“Phasma.” Rey glances up, as Phasma grins. “You can call me Phasma, or Captain Banite if you must, and,” she crosses her legs and looks on ahead, “I’ll be paying so order whatever you like.”

Rey puts down the menu, “no need ma'am.” She doesn’t just accept this sort of things.

“I am going to be giving you all my money already,” she laughs lowly, “might as well start now.” 

Rey quirks a grin, “how about I pick up the tip?”

She bows her head, “sounds fair.”

They look over the menu and Rey reviews with strategies she would need to defend this women.

She places her menu down and lifts her head.

“Phasma-” She begins and the women strikes her with another piercing gaze.

“I suppose you want to know my background.” She sighs and continues her relentless examination of her.

“Among other things.” Rey confirms and folds her hands on the tables, “and we should discuss fees and other logistics.”

“A businesswoman.” She says like a cat catching a bird, pleased with herself, “I like it.” The words were slow and clipped at the same time.

“Phasma is an usual name.” She begins.

“So is having no last name.” She leans in, “what’s your background Ms. Rey?” 

Rey exhales deeply, this woman was going to be difficult.

“I have my degree from Princeton school of law around a year and half ago and then was received by Force Firms a few months previously.”   


“I hear you’re talented.” 

“I am Ma’am.” Rey clarifies to express that Phasma is in good hands.

She frowns, “you better be.” She finally shows a darker look, “I won’t have backing out will I?”

Rey shakes her head, “this will be my first major case…”

Phasma shrugs, “that’s fine.” She looks to the waiter and hales him over, “no one else will take my case anyway.”

Rey’s eyes go wide. No one else would take her case.

 

Phasma orders for the both of them, appearing to be that sort of women and getting some sort of pasta.

 

“I was born to redneck parents in the middle of Alabama.” She begins candidly, “that’s how you get a name like Phasma. They picked the word Phantasm out of the dictionary and wanted me to be more than they were.” She says lightly, picking a lint off her coat as she spoke.

Rey nods to show she is listening. 

“And I joined the military and eventually worked my way up to captain.”

Rey puts her chin in her hand, “I can work with that.”

“With what?”

“Jurors love working-your-way to the top stories.” Rey asserts flatly, “and people in the military.” This could be easy. 

“So they’ll love me.” She says lightly, “sounds like a case then.”

 

“Well…” Rey bites her lips, they didn’t like arrogance, “we’ll prepp you on things Prosecution will ask. We’ll make you look good.” Her eyes pick her apart, Rey’s cheeks flare, “not that you need us for that.” She tries to reassure Phasma she wasn’t insulting her.

 

Phasma laughs and Rey is relieved when the food shows up.

 

Phasma keeps examining her, “where are you from?”

 

“Nevada.” Rey says simply as she twirls stroganoff around her spoon. 

  
“Where?”

 

“Middle of nowhere.” She breathes like she’s breathing out dust and tumbleweeds.

 

Phasma chews her food, Rey lifts her eyes to Phasma’s hard-to-read face. 

 

“How did you and your husband make your wealth?” Rey finally asks. “The jury will want to know.”

 

“The stocks.” Is all she says, a stilted tone. “And how did you end up here?”

 

Rey glances down and to the left, “reasons of my own.”

 

Phasma tilts Rey’s head up with one long finger. She just smiles knowingly and they eat for a moment. 

 

“How did you and your husband meet?” Rey is taking notes now as she takes out a small pad of paper.

 

“The military.” She finishes her meal, “Huxley was ranked above me. One thing led to another.” Her eyes were steal door traps for a moment.

Rey wrote that down, they’d have to soften her for the stand.

“And you loved each other.”

Phasma cocked an eyebrow up. “Haven’t you heard?” She says in a teasing dark nuance, “I shot him.”

Rey freezes and glances up, “self-defense is a good strategy.”

Phasma winks. “Joking.”

 

Rey puts down her pen and leans in quickly, whispering to Phasma so her lips barely move, “did you kill him Captain Banite? I need to know.”

 

Phasma pulls Rey in by her tie, forcing her face forward, “No.” She lilts. “I did not kill my husband.” 

 

Rey can’t tell if she winks at her again or not. Her stomach flips nonetheless. 

 

“We can go for self-defense.” She thinks out loud.

 

Phasma shakes her head, “I didn’t kill him. That’s our defense.”

 

Rey’s head hurt, this was going to tougher than she imagined.

 

“And even if I did.” Phasma smiles, “well, good thing you’re my lawyer.”

  
“Good thing.” She mumbles back and Phasma’s eyes ghost over Rey’s body.

The whispering starts up again, "she used a nine-millimeter..."

"She only drives a jaguar..."

"...this isn't the first man either. Her third even."

"Whose that girl?"

Rey tunes them out.

**Author's Note:**

> rated T. For now.


End file.
